'Thomas "Tom" Harpur' (born
1929) is a
Canadian author,
broadcaster,
journalist and
theologian.
Born in
Scarborough,
Ontario, Harpur was educated at the
University of Toronto, where he won the Jarvis Scholarship in Greek and Latin, the Maurice Hutton Scholarship in Classics, the Sir William Mulock Scholarship in Classics, and the Gold Medal in Classics, as well as
full colours for
Rugby. He studied at the
University of Oxford as a
Rhodes Scholar from 1951 to 1954, gaining a
Full Blue for
ice hockey. Between 1954 and 1956 he studied theology at the
Wycliffe College,
University of Toronto, where he was a tutor in Greek, winning the prizes in homiletics and Greek. Harpur was
ordained an
Anglican priest. From 1957 until 1964 he served the
congregation of St.-Margaret's-in-the-Pines in the
Scarborough, Ontario community of West Hill. From 1964 to 1971, Harpur was Professor of
New Testament at the University of Toronto's
Toronto School of Theology.
Harpur is best known for his work with the ''
Toronto Star'' where he worked as a journalist for thirty years, twelve of which were as the newspaper's
religion editor. Since leaving that position in 1984 he has continued to contribute a regular column on religious and ethical issues. Harpur has also written a number of books on religion and
theology and has hosted radio and television programs on the topic, particularly on
Vision TV.
Harpur is a Fellow of the American Religious Public Relations Council, and in 1976 won the
State of Israel Silver Medal for Outstanding Journalism (1976). His biography is included in the American ''Who's Who in Religion'', ''Canadian Who's Who'', and ''Men of Achievement''.
Bibliography
★ ''For Christ’s Sake'' (Oxford, 1986) ISBN 0-19-540533-1
★ ''Harpur’s Heaven and Hell'' (Oxford, 1983) ISBN 0-7710-3941-7
★ ''Prayer Journal'' (Northstone)
★ ''Prayer - The Hidden Fire'' (Northstone)
★ ''Would You Believe'' (McClelland and Stewart) (U.S. title: ''The Thinking Person’s Guide to God'', Prima, 1996)
★ ''Harpur vs. Hancock'' (Lancelot)
★ ''The Divine Lover'' (Lancelot)
★ ''The God Question'' (Lancelot)
★ ''The Uncommon Touch'' (McClelland and Stewart)
★ ''God Help Us'' (McClelland and Stewart)
★ ''Life After Death'' (McClelland and Stewart)
★ ''Communicating the Good News Today'' (Lancelot)
★ ''Always on Sunday'' (Oxford)
★ ''Finding the Still Point - A Spiritual Response to Stress'' (Northstone, 2002)
★ ''The Spirituality of Wine'' (Northstone)
★ ''The Pagan Christ: Recovering the Lost Light'' (Thomas Allen, 2004) ISBN 0-88762-145-7
★ ''Living Waters'' (Thomas Allen, 2006) ISBN 0-88762-225-9
★ ''Water Into Wine: An Empowering Vision of the Gospels'' (Thomas Allen, 2007) ISBN 0-88762-277-1
Children's books
★ ''The Terrible Finn MacCoul'' (Oxford)
★ ''The Mouse that Couldn't Squeak'' (Oxford)
External links
★
Tom Harpur official website
★
A critical view of Tom Harpur's ''Pagan Christ''. review by Christian J. P. Holding.
★
Tom Harpur's false choices review of ''Pagan Christ'' from the 'Catholic New Times'.
★
Is There Anything New in Christianity? a critical response to Tom Harpur by
A. James Reimer.
★
Reading ''The ''Pagan Christ'' in Tom Harpur's Old Office - review by Terry Donaldson.
★
The Leading Religion Writer in Canada ... Does He Know What He's Talking About? a critical response by W. Ward Gasque.
★
Neither Scholarly nor a Solution a response to Tom Harpur's ''The Pagan Christ'' by Gordon L. Heath.
★
Several Arguments for Jesus' Existence A critical response by Barry Henaut.
★
Tom Harpur Interview on ''The Pagan Christ''